Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee, illustrated by Heike Sistig

Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee, illustrated by Heike Sistig, is a fun adventure about inclusion, working together, and having fun. In Prince Noah’s kingdom, the kids are sent off in separate ships to learn skills, such as girls learning to weave and boys learning to fence. Kids with disabilities are sent off in their own boats as well.

While the book has a lot of text for young kids, the adventure makes it a book to read with your child right before bed. You can break up the book into segments, making it easier for kids to follow along and enjoy the ride. When the kids are at sea, pirates swoop in and capture the children. What will happen to them as they are put into the pirate tower? Who will save them?

Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee, illustrated by Heike Sistig, is delightfully illustrated with so many things to look at; it’s almost like a Where’s Waldo? book. My daughter enjoyed this story and told me we should read it again, and we probably will … many times.

RATING: Quatrain

About the Author:

Silke snow is a journalist and works as a TV program maker at a public broadcaster in Cologne . She is married and has three sons . Her youngest son Noah was born in July 2008 with Trisomy 21 ( Down syndrome ) .

“At first, when Noah was born, we were shocked and sad. And it wasn’t easy to see how some people look at children with special needs as strange or different. But the catalyst for this book was witnessing the effect he had on many people, despite being categorized as disabled. In fact, our little prince brings much love, joy, and sunshine not only to us, but to all around him. Children are a wonder, and we must see them with the eyes of our heart: each child just the way he or she is.”

This sounds interesting. What did you think about the ways the story separated different genders/disabilities? Was that important to the story? I’m just curious, as that stuck out to me the most in your review.